Fence-post.



A. W. SPRAGUE.

FENCE POST. APPLICATION FILED AUG, 23, 1907.

924,505.- I Pafielited June 8, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT o'EEoE.

ARTHUR W. sPRAsU 'oE LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS, AssIsNoR TO AMERICAN STEEL & WIRE COMPANY, or cEIcAeo, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

FENCE-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. SPRAGUE, of La Grange, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a new and useful Fence-Post, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a fence post embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views showing different forms of ties for the post legs. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one form of anchor. Figs. 5, 6, and 7, are side elevations of other embodiments of my invention.

My invention has relation to fence posts, and is designed to rovide a metallic post which can be manu actured from wire rods at comparativel low cost, and which will be strong and dura le.

A further object is to provide a fence post of this character which will have a considerable degree of flexibility at right angles to the line of the fence, so that it will yield somewhat to pressure and will recover its normal position when released.

The precise nature of my invention will be best understood by reference to the accomanying drawings, which show several em- Idodiments thereof, it being understood, however, that the invention is capable of other embodiments, and that various changes may be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined y the appended claims.

Fig. 1 shows a post which is formed from a wire rod bent at its central portion to form two downwardly diverging legs 2, which are connected at intervals by the ties 3. These ties may consist of short pieces of wire having their ends wrapped around the legs 2, as shown in Fig. 1, or they may be of any other desired form. In Fig. 2 I have shown them as formed by straps 4 of malleable iron having eyes ,5 at their ends which are closed around the legs 2. Fig. 3 shows another form of tie formed by a metal stra or plate having perforations to receive the egs 2 the metal adjacent to the perforations being slitted to form the tongues 6, which after the ties are inserted onto the legs, are closed down to bind the ties in place.

While I prefer to form this post from a single piece of wire bent to form the two diverging legs, it may be formed from two separate pieces of Wire welded or tied together at their u per ends.

The post may e used either with or without an anchor. I have shown it as provided with an anchor 7 consisting of a Z-shaped metal plate connecting the legs 2 a short distance below the ground line. This anchor may be formed from a single piece of metal, as shown in Fi 4, having the eyes 8 for the legs formed bylooping tongues slitted from the body ofthe metal. The main purose of this anchor is to impart greater ateral resistance to the base of the post below the ground line.

The forms of post thus far described are preferably made of wire of suflicient inherent elasticity to give flexibility to the post in a direction at right angles to the line of the fence, so that when the fence is submitted to pressure, these posts will flex or yield and Will afterward return to their normal positions when the pressure is relieved. This element of flexibility may, however, be considerably increased by providing the legs of the post, a short distance above the ground line, with spiral coils 11 and 11, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, respectively. In Fig. 5, the coils 11 are in the same vertical plane with the legs of the post, while in Fig. 6 the coils 11 are in a substantially horizontal position.

Fig. 7 shows another form of post formed of two legs suitably tied together, and formed each a short distance above the ground line with an offset 12 at right angles to the line of the fence. The purpose of these offsets is to form driving shoulders for the posts at these points, and also to add increased flexibility to the post.

While I prefer to employ material of circular cross-section in the construction of these posts, they may be constructed from metal of any desired section, such as flats, squares, etc., and of any suitable dimensions.

My invention provides a fence post which can be readily and cheaply constructed; which can be quickly driven or set, and which, by reason of their lateral flexibility, will maintain the fence in better condition, it having been found that cattle are less disposed to rub against and otherwise interfere with a fence possessing these elements of flexibility than with one which is rigid and presents a stiff or unyielding resistance to their rubbing efforts. In this respect my invention diflers from all other fence posts to Which I am familiar, it having been the object heretofore to provide a post which should have the greatest possible amount of rigidity. By my invention I also provide a metallic post in which the amount of metal is reduced to a minimum, and is so disposed as to provide for a maximum strength and durability.

What is claimed is 1. A fence post including legs tied together in their upper portions, and an anchor member connecting their lower portions, the fence post having elastically flexible portions between the anchor and the tie arranged to permit the flexing of the upper post portion under pressure at right angles to the line of fencing, substantially as described.

2. A fence post comprising legs tied together in their upper portions, and an anchor member connecting the lower portions of the legs, said legs having elastically flexible contie, substantially as described.

3. A fence post comprising leg members 'having their upper portions tied together, and an anchor connecting their lower por- ARTHUR ll". SPliAGlllC.

ll' itnesses GEO l l. PARMELEE, H. M. Conwrn.

nections located between the anchor and the 'tions, each leg having an elastically yield able 

